Ramallah — Israeli Forces Raze Birzeit University Martyrs Monument

Israeli soldiers demolished a stone memorial listing 38 students and alumni of Birzeit University killed by Israeli forces, then placed a fig sapling in its spot bearing the inscription "Water it twice," according to a report published by Al Jazeera on Oct. 6, 2026. Soldiers arrived at the campus near Ramallah at dawn Monday with 10 military vehicles, and a bulldozer tore down the pillar known as the Martyrs' Monument before troops removed the marble, Al Jazeera reported, citing an account from the university.

How many times has Israel raided Birzeit University?

Monday's incursion was the fifth at the campus since the start of 2026 and the 28th since 2002, per Al Jazeera's reporting. That rate — five raids in roughly nine months of 2026 against 28 total over 24 years — marks a sharp acceleration compared with the two-decade average of just over one raid per year. The outlet also noted a separate daytime incursion 10 days before the monument's demolition, timed a day ahead of the start of the fall semester.

By the numbers

• 38 — names of students and alumni inscribed on the Martyrs' Monument, per Al Jazeera
• 28 — Israeli incursions into Birzeit University's campus since 2002, per Al Jazeera
• 5 — raids on the campus since the beginning of 2026 alone, per Al Jazeera
• 1984 — the year Sharaf al-Tayyibi, the first name on the monument, was shot dead by Israeli forces on campus, per Al Jazeera

Who were the 38 names on the monument?

The Martyrs' Monument was built between 1994 and 1996 to record the names of Birzeit students and alumni killed by Israeli forces, starting with al-Tayyibi's 1984 death on campus, Al Jazeera reported. Names were added over the following three decades. The most recent addition was student Omar al-Naasan, killed in al-Mughayyir east of Ramallah, according to the outlet. Among the names was Fadi Washaha, 34, shot in the head by an Israeli soldier near the northern entrance to el-Bireh in May 2021, according to his sister, Rania Washaha, 47, who spoke to Al Jazeera near the memorial site.

What did soldiers leave in place of the monument?

After the marble pillar was removed, soldiers left a planter containing a fig sapling with a card reading "Water it twice," Al Jazeera reported. Nardeen al-Memi, the university's public relations and media officer, told the outlet that during the brief raid soldiers approached and photographed the monument for the first time before its removal.

How has the university responded?

Birzeit University's administration called the demolition a violation of international law and an attack on education and national memory, according to a statement cited by Al Jazeera. The university said in the statement:

"Bulldozers won't erase the memory of the martyrs, military vehicles won't extinguish the light of knowledge, and these assaults won't break the university's resolve to pursue its academic and national mission."

Students responded by rewriting the names that had been inscribed on the destroyed memorial, Al Jazeera reported, without specifying where or on what surface the names were rewritten.

What does international law say about damage to educational sites?

Al Jazeera's report frames the university's objection around international law protections for educational institutions and cultural memory, though the article does not cite a specific treaty provision or legal ruling tied to this incident. The outlet notes the raid fits a broader pattern the university has tracked since 2002 — 28 incursions over 24 years, with the pace nearly quintupling in 2026 relative to the historical annual average. No Israeli government or military statement on the raid or the monument's removal is included in the available reporting.

The Birzeit campus, located near Ramallah in the central West Bank, has been the site of repeated incursions documented by Al Jazeera across multiple reports this year, including coverage of an assault that wounded dozens of students during an earlier raid. Monday's demolition is the first instance in the available reporting in which Israeli forces are described as removing a permanent memorial structure from the campus rather than entering for search or arrest operations.